Capping table



A ril 18, 1933. A s CHANDLER 1303380 CAPPING TABLE Filed March 24, 1932 3 W WZ 7% 285 2 VII/I/I/III'IIA Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITEDVSTATES PATENT OFFICE AUSTIN S. CHANDLER, OF FITCI-IBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BROWN BAG FILLING MACHINE COMPANY, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- IION OF MASSACHUSETTS CAPPING TABLE Application fi1ed March 24, 1932. Serial No. 601,032.

This invention relates to filling and closing receptacles and particularly to conveyors and chutes therefor, and has for an object to present a means for facilitating the closing and disposal of filled receptacles delivered from a filling machine such as disclosed in my copending application jointly with John A. Lidberg for carton and bottle orientating and filling appliance executed November 25, 1931, filed December 18, 1931, Serial No. 581,981.

The present invention was combined with the above mentioned machine prior to said application, and has for an object to divert and guide the filled receptacles in a novel way and by novel means in order to facilitate the placing of covers, stoppers or other closures upon the receptacles. 7

It is a special aim to present an arrangement whereby the separate closures for the receptacles may be conveniently disposed upon the table in close proximity tothe filled receptacles without liability of confusion so that they may be quickly grasped by operators in close juxtaposition to the filled receptacles and put in place with a minimum of motion on the part of the operator. It is an important purpose to cause movement of the receptacles conveniently and to position them close together in such position that the covers may be quickly and easily adjusted without requiring them to be separated by the opera-' tor manually or otherwise. It is a purposeto provide such an appliance which will be coordinated with the above mentioned filling machine so that as the receptacles are filled and discharged, which is often at intervals too short for an operator to handle them, they will be abruptly diverted to two or more paths and in each moved into the peculiar positions and relations above indicated for manual closing.

It is also a purpose to permit the capping or stoppering of receptacles without requiring extensive, if any, manual movement'of the receptacles.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawing,where- 1n 1 Figure 1 is a top view of a capping table embodying the invention. V

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section of the device near the receiving end.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section at the paddle lever.

Figure 4 is a detail of the paddle lever bracket.

Figure 5 is a detail of the paddle lever mounting.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top view of a modified table and shifter.

There is illustrated a portion of the delivery belt 24 as numbered in my prior application mentioned and the driving roll 82 thereof, the shaft of which has the driven sprocket 81 thereon. Adjusted in receiving relation to the belt where it passes outwardly over the roll 82, there is a table-like structure 9 including at its inner end short supporting legs 10 adapted to rest upon the usual table 11 upon which the filling machine is ordinarily mounted, the outer end of the table 9 being supported by long legs 12 adapted to rest upon the floor.

The table proper comprises a foraminate smoothly finished plate 14 of metal, preferably, having a left or receiving end edge, semicircular except at the central part 15, which is rectilinear and bevelled to lie closely adjacent and slightly below the uppermost surface of the belt 24 and to receive receptacles therefrom slidably. Upon the top side of this plate at the front end there is secured removably a semicircular board or plate 16 having its curved outer or forward edge and rail 17 spaced from the semicircular edge of the plate 14, while on the outer edge of the plate 14 there is secured a vertical guide flange plate or wall 18 extending from a point at the front just within the back edge of the belt 24, thence to the extreme right hand end of the table plate 14 distant from the curved end. This plate 18 is set slightly beyond the plate 14 longitudinally, next and toward the belt, its lower part there being cut away slightly as at 19, so that it clears a part of the belt which is at a higher level than the top of the plate 14. At the opposite side of the plate 14 a similar flange wall is formed in two pieces, one short removable part 20, spaced from the opposed end of the wall 18 the width of a receptacle to be closed, and the second portion 18 extending over the remainder of the curved edge and side of the plate 14 at the left to the extreme end of the plate 114.

There is thus formed between the board 16 and the walls 18, 20, and 18 identical curved front and rear alleys 21 and 22 adapted to receive articles discharged from the belt 24,

when the articles are pressed in the respective directions over the receiving edge 15. Rearwardly from the board 16and spaced from the respective walls 18 and 18 to form continuations of the inner sides of the alleys, there are two longitudinal bars 23 extending to the far end of the plate 14. The bars 23 may be laterally adjustable on the plate 14 so as to increase or decrease the. width of the alleys thereadj acent, in conjunction with boards 16 of corresponding sizes, so that if a larger receptacle is to be accommodated in the alleys, a smaller board-16 is put in place, and the bars 23 adjusted inward accordingly. The board 16 and bars 23 do not require to be of equal height to the outer walls 18 and 18'.

Spaced a distance from the rectilinear receiving edge of the plate 14 there is a slot 25 parallel to the edge 15, and extended upwardly through this slot there is a paddle lever 26 having a forwardly extending plate or paddle head 27, setting sufiiciently high to engage and press receptacles toward either alley when oscillated. This lever and plate 27 may be T-shaped in form and the inner extremity of the paddle head-27 may extend through an opening 28 in the board 16 thereadjacent, this opening being spaced above the plate 14, and being bridged so that the tops of receptacles discharged from the belt 24 will be engaged (see Fig. 3). Secured upon the plate 14 at the rear of the slot 25 there is a dependent transversely adjustable bracket 29 upon which the lever 26 is pivoted.

The bracket 29 may be diagonally slottedas shown in Figures 4 and 5, and the lever is also slotted longitudinally at its middle part. It is mounted on the bracket by means of a pin 30 having a shank 31 slidable in the slot of the bracket and secured by a nut 32 on the inner end. Forwardly of the bracket the pin is formed with an enlarged cylindrical stud 33 on which there is engaged a hearing block 33 slidable in the slot 34 of the lever and secured adjustably therein at the desired position by set screws 34. The head of the pin is formed with a threaded tenon 35 on which a washer and nut 36 are engaged to retain the lever on the pin. By adjusting the pin lower in both the bracket and lever the throw of the upper end of the paddle may be varied to accommodate different sizes of receptacles.

The lever 27 extends below its pivot and is provided with a rearwardly extended stud having a wiper 37 engaged in a serpentine groove 38 of a cylindrical cam 39 fixed by set screw 40 on a shaft 41 mounted in bearings 42 formed on the legs 10. The shaft 41 projects at one end sufiiciently to carry a sprocket 43 which is driven by chain 44 from a sprocket 45 on the shaft of the roller 42 of the belt 24.

To accommodate the device to receive larger receptacles from the conveyor 24 the wall 20 is replaced by a shorter one, a smaller board 16 is substituted, the cam 39 is adjusted further to the right on its shaft and the pin 30 adjusted lower in the lever, and bracket 29, so that the pivot of the paddle will be midway of the path of the larger receptacles as received from the belt and the swing of the head plate 27 increased.

The groove of the cam 39 is of uniform depth, and is so formed as to swing the paddle once in each direction on each'rotation of the cam, with substantial periods of rest at each limit of movement. For this purpose the groove has comparatively short diagonal parts 46 at diametrically opposite sides of the cam, both being in the same diagonal plane intersecting theaxis of the cam on a diameter. The ends of the diagonal, portions are connected by groove portions 47 each lying in a plane at right angles to the axis of the cam. WVhen used with the filling machine above re: ferred to, the cam will make one rotation for each two operations of the filling machine in filling receptacles. In this way there will be an equal number of filled receptacles shifted into each of the two alleys.

In use, the machine being properly adj usted and connected with operating means, as

each receptacle is delivered by the belt 24,

the paddle will be at its period of rest at one side of the opening between the walls 18 and 20, and immediatelyafter the receptacle slides into place beside the paddle the latter will be moved to the opposite position, pressing the newly arrived receptacle into the lateral alley, where the paddle will rest until the next receptacle moves from the belt 24. The covers 48 for the receptacles are disposed on the central part of the plate 14, and one operative who is to place the covers on the receptacles stands beside the curved part of the alley at one side, while another operative stands at the opposite side, both picking up the covers from the space inwardly of the alleys, and setting them upon the outermost uncovered receptacles in the curved parts of the respective alleys. The placing of the'cover is in this way facilitated especially in the starting of a flanged cover on a rectangular box because, due to the curvature of the alley, the outer parts of the boxes are separated by reason of their radial arrangement, and the cover may be started at the outer part on any box without the cover being obstructed by the upper edge of any other box. The covers are started in this way, and it then becomes easy to press the remainder of the cover down while it is held snugly against the outer wall of the box.

After placing of the covers, the receptacles may be allowed to remain in the alleys to be pressed along by succeeding ones, until they are discharged at the far ends of the alleys, or otherwise removed. Or, they may be lifted out by the capping operative and placed in cases or elsewhere.

It will be noted that the top reach of the belt 24 extends inward of the walls 18 and 20 above the plate 14, so that receptacles discharged from the belt 24 are still engaged by the belt after entering and stopping in line with the entrances to the alleys. The receptacles are thereby held certainly in position to be moved by the paddle into either alley without the receptacle striking the end of either of the Walls.

In Figure 6 there is illustrated .a modification suitable for use where a single attendant places the closure on the receptacles. In some operations, due to the nature of the containers or the materials, it is possible for a single person to handle all the filled receptacles as delivered from the machine and in such cases it is desirable to shift the filled receptacles toward one side of the table only. In this instance, a lever 49 is pivoted at 49 concentric with the curved quadrant-a1 alley 21 which is the same as the lower part of the alley 21 of Figure 1, before described), having an outer end provided with a paddle plate 50 movable in an opening 51 formed in the rear or inner wall of the alley 21, this opening being alined with the path of the receptacles as delivered from the conveyor 24. The paddle has an outer stop flange 52 projected at right angles therefrom away from the path of the receptacles, leaving the belt 24 when the paddle is in initial position (which is at the far side of said path from the curved part of the alley). The paddle is also formed with an inner stop flange 53 projected from the opposite side so as to extend across the opening 51 when the paddle is in initial position. It lies outward of the adjacent wall 17 of the alley 2-1.

A wiper roller 54 is mounted on the lever 49, and at the rear side of the lever a reciprocating cam block 55 is slidably mounted. It is formed with a central V-shaped lobe 56 at the middlenext the lever 49, from respective sides of which extend flat faces '57 parallel to the path of movement of the cam. A spring 58 is engaged with the lever tohold it yieldingly against the cam, so that upon reciprocation ofthe cam in the direction of the arrows shown thereon the lobe 5 engages the wiper 54 alternatelyjfrom opposite sides,

ceptacles spaced from the inner wall 17 of the alley, and the. wall may be slotted suitably to receivethe flange. The operating means for the cam 55 may be of any simple kind operating in synchrony with the filling mechanism before referred to.

I claim p 1. A work table of the character described comprising a work sup-porting surface, fixed concentric outer walls thereon of a common radius with spaced apart proximal ends and an inner replaceable concentric guide element spaced inwardly from the walls to form oppositely extending curved alleys, a work shifter at the proximal ends of the alleys, and terminal rectilinear alley portions leading from the outer parts of the curved alleys and including laterally adjustable bars as inner boundaries, forming a junction with the periphery of said inner guide element.

2. A device of the character described comprising a conveyor belt and terminal roller carrying the same, a receiving plate extending over a part of the roll longitudinally outward of the conveyor and over the portion of the belt interposed, a pivoted paddle device operative over the plate closely adjacent the belt, and means operatively connected with the conveyor to oscillate the paddle.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which guide devices extend oppositely and laterally from adjacent the paddle positioned toreceive articles pushed'by the paddle, said guide devices being curved in a common direction and extended to points of discharge distant from the conveyor.

4. A device of the character described comprising a delivery conveyor and terminal roller carrying the same, a receiving plate projected over a part of the roll and the belt longitudinally outward of the conveyor, said plate being slotted transversely of the direction of travel of the conveyor, a paddle pivoted beneath the plate and projected upwardly through the slot to engage ceptacles alternately in respective directions upon the plate and being projected forwardand move rely toward the conveyor, means to reciprocate the paddle, and curved guides extending laterally and oppositely from the paddle.

5. The structure of claim 2 in which laterally divergent alleys extend from opposite sides of the paddle, said alleys including Walls adjacent the conveyor set further over the belt than said plate, whereby delivered articles Will remain engaged by the belt while in initial delivery position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

AUSTIN S. CHANDLER. 

